Rivalries make sports what they are.  They bring fans in and light fires under competitors, bringing out the best in the world’s most superior athletes.  Ian O’Connor’s new book, Arnie & Jack, chronicles the rivalry between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.  The book revels in the accomplishments of two of golf’s most prolific figures, and as Bill Littlefield says, it provides even die-hard fans with some insights on the legends that they may not be familiar with.

When most people think of golf, they think straw hats, khakis and relaxing summer days.  However, Leigh Montville’s new book, Mysterious Montague, tells a true golf story with a lot more to it than a typical round of 18.  Bill Littlefield reviews the book and finds that even if you know some of the story of John Montague, you’re still in for an exciting read.

Truly good sports writing gets past box scores and statistics, by bringing together the sports world with the real world.  Throughout his career, Pat Jordan’s has tried to do just this, taking the games that we watch and the players that we root for and putting them in context.  Bill Littlefield reviews Jordan’s new book, The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan, and discusses some of the more memorable tales that Jordan has covered.

Minor League Baseball isn’t about the glamour or money that the Majors are.  Team busses and long road trips are the reward for hard work, and only a percentage of players make the jump from "A" Ball to the show.  All this makes Chris Coste’s journey to the pros even less feasible.  Coste’s new book, The 33-Year-Old Rookie, tells the story of a trip more than a decade long that finally landed the journeyman catcher in the pros.  Bill Littlefield reviews the book, and finds that Coste may be here to stay.

Did you ever wonder why auto racing is so massively popular?  Liz Clarke’s new book One Helluva Ride examines where the sport came from, and how fans of NASCAR have become so passionately devoted.  Bill Littlefield reviews the book, and finds that there’s more than meets the eye in the land of left turns.

The defending World Champion Red Sox just wrapped up a two game set with the Oakland A’s across the world in Japan.  Alan Klein, author of Growing the Game, says that such an international venture should be just the beginning for Major League Baseball.  Bill Littlefield reviews the book and explores the possibilities of a globalized game.

Bill Littlefield reviews, "South of the Color Barrier: How Jorge Pasquel and the Mexican League Pushed Baseball Toward Racial Integration" by John Virtue.

In his new book The Dark Side of the Diamond, Roger Adams takes a closer look at America’s Pastime, for better or worse. Despite the gloomy title, the book also celebrates baseball, and as Bill Littlefield says, it tells some fun stories along the way.

 In The Franchise, Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst provide an inside look into the construction of the Cleveland Cavaliers around mega-star LeBron James, and how Cleveland management has revitalized the franchise. Bill Littlefield reviews the book.

In his new book, "God Save the Fan," Will Leitch examines what is wrong in the world of sports, from disconnected athletes to self-important commentators, and tries to figure out exactly how to fix it. Bill Littlefield has the review.